MM Rahmatullah: Not only in the capital city Dhaka, thousands of people gathered  across the country and all over the world to protest against anti-Islamic acts in France, including display of blasphemous caricatures on Monday. The protesters gathered outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque chanting slogans against France.

In Bangladesh, protesters urge government to cut diplomatic ties with France. 

The procession of leaders and activists of various religious organizations including Hefazat-e-Islam towards the French Embassy in Dhaka ended at the Shantinagar intersection due to police obstruction. They held a brief rally on Monday afternoon to demand the severance of diplomatic relations with France, the closure of the French embassy in Bangladesh, the boycott of French goods and the passage of a condemnation motion in parliament Junaid Babunagari, central secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam.

Due to their program, the traffic on Baitul Mukarram, Gulistan, Paltan, Press Club, Kakrail and Shantinagar has been suspended and the commuters have been suffering for more than three hours. Demonstrations are taking place in various Muslim countries around the world over the publication of a caricature of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) in a French magazine. In Bangladesh, too, religious groups have protested and called for a boycott of French products.

As part of this, Hefazat-e-Islam`s Dhaka Metropolitan President Nur Hossain Qasemi announced the siege of the French embassy on November 2nd at a rally under the banner `Combined Islamic Parties` in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday. According to him, thousands of activists from various organizations, including Hefazat-e-Islam, have been gathering at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram since Monday morning.

Earlier on Sunday, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party expressed solidarity with the ongoing protest, saying insulting any religious leader in the name of freedom of expression cannot be justified in any way.

The Bangladesh government, however, is yet to make any official comment over the matter.

Earlier last month, Macron described Islam as “a religion in crisis" and announced plans for tougher laws to tackle “Islamist separatism” in France.

French Muslims have accused him of trying to repress their religion, and legitimizing Islamophobia.

Macron`s attitude against Islam, the republication of caricatures insulting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad and their projection on the walls of buildings have triggered boycotts of French products in several countries, including, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Sudan, Palestine, and Morocco.